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2 early funky tunes from The BarKays – recorded back when the group had a heavy trumpet in the frontline, pumping up the groove from drums and guitar! "Don't Do That" is a slow burner – Memphis all the way, with some nice riffing that opens the tune up. "Give Everybody Some" is faster and funkier – thumping with organ on the beat, and drums and guitar dancing around in a very tight circle! 7-inch, Vinyl record

A pair of Mercury Records gems from the Bar-Kays – back to back on a single CD! Light Of Life is proof that even a move to a major label couldn't keep the Bar-Kays down – as the group are working here in a great groove that's wider, fresher, and stronger overall than any of their Stax albums! Sure, the whole thing's not guitar-based funk all the way through, but the group are also maturing, and really opening up a lot – working equally well on ballads and mellower midtempo numbers, as they were on the still tight funkier tracks. The overall sound is almost that of the Ohio Players when they moved to Mercury, but without the chart hits, and more of a focus on working at a level that's even higher than before! The band still jams it hard on the funky cut "Give It Up", but also kicks back with some beautiful harmony vocals on "I Lean On You/You Lean On Me", get some great pop hooks in on "Shine", and come together nicely on the tracks "We're The Happiest People In The World", "Angel Eyes", "Are You Being Real", and "Love's What It's All About". Injoy is later Bar-Kays at their best – still plenty funky, but also working in a smoothly soulful style that became the group's trademark sound at Mercury! The album's got a real bass-heavy appeal from the start – working in a mode that shares a lot with Cameo, The Gap Band, and some of the other mainstream funk acts at the time – yet which still occasionally shows the group's roots in the rougher Memphis scene. There's actually some great ballads on the album alongside the funk – tunes that sweeten the set nicely, and provide a good counterpoint to the more uptempo numbers. Titles include "Girl I'm On Your Side", "More & More", "Running In & Out Of My Life", "You've Been", and "Up In Here". CD

One of the funkiest sounds ever from Issac Hayes – presented here in the non-stop, 33 minute jam session that gave the world the shorter single! The whole thing is amazing – and even more of a chance to see Hayes' genius in the studio than some of his full albums – as Ike conducts the core Bar-Kays group, and some additional strings and vocals – through passages that are tight and funky one minute, then freaky and fuzzy the next – with lots of cool time changes, instrumental shifts, and other sweet styles that make the whole thing feel more like an extended funk symphony than just a single song! This is the first time this full performance has ever been released – and the single features both parts, plus a bonus "rhythm section mix". Also comes with a cool booklet of notes! LP, Vinyl record album

An underground set from early 70s Stax Records – the only set cut back in the day by Ernie Hines – a really great singer who works here with a blend of southern soul and sweet harmony modes! The album's got a pretty laidback vibe, which is great – almost in the same space as The Temprees, with an undercurrent of super-dope arrangements, and Ernie's lead vocals right up front in the mix! There's a bit of strings on the set, and most tracks have some sort of harmony support behind Hines' lead – a vibe that's a bit different, and maybe almost more east coast than the usual Stax set. Arrangements are by Wardell Quezquerque, Dale Warren, Lester Snell, and Tom Nixon – and both The BarKays and The MGs play on the record. Titles include the sample classic "Our Generation" – plus "Electrified Love", "Sugar Plum", "Change Is Gonna Come", "Your Love (Is All I Need)", and "Come On Y'All". LP, Vinyl record album

The legendary music of Maxayn – finally given its due, and presented here in a great 3CD box, with all albums in tiny LP-styled sleeves! First up is Maxayn – the debut album from a funky female talent who deserves to be mentioned in the same territory as Betty Davis and Yvonne Fair! Like both of those artists, Maxayn isn't afraid to use an electric guitar when she wants – which puts her music somewhere in the territory of groups like The Bar-Kays and Black Nasty, and the way they could blend rock influences with funk and soul! No surprise, Maxayn's bandmates here include two members of Buddy Miles' group – who really help keep things deep – providing a massive foundation for the lady's incredible vocals. Titles include covers of the Stones' "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Gimme Shelter" – plus the original tunes "Trying For Days", "Jam For Jack", "Song", and "Doing Nothing Nothing Doing". Next up is Mindful – a classic album of funky female soul – and part of the overlooked legacy of the mighty Maxayn Lewis! The set's a wicked blend of funk and rock, served up with help from Buddy Miles' bandmates Andrew Lewis on keyboards and bass, and Marlo Henderson on guitar – an instrument that's played in the same soul-drenched style you'd know from Buddy Miles' albums, which makes for a wonderful blend with the mindblowing vocals of Maxayn! The singer got her start working with Ike Turner – and definitely has the voice to match that legacy – and she's really set free here on material that was years ahead of its time, and which only today is finally getting its due. The album features lots of original tracks – including "Travelin", "The Answer", "Moan to the Music", "Stone Crazy", "Feelin'", and "Good Things" – plus a version of Curtis Mayfield's "Check Out Your Mind". Last up is Bail Out For Fun – a set that was the last in her initial run of the 70s, and maybe the grooviest of the bunch! The keyboards here are more center stage than the guitars of Maxayn's previous records – and they only seem to increase the funky feel of the record, especially as they're folded up with the vocals in this cool flanged-out production style – a mode that almost seems to echo Sly Stone, which might be no surprise – as the blend of funk, soul, and rock in the music definitely owes something to Sly! Yet Maxayn's very much her own woman – singing with full righteous energy on tunes that include some great originals, plus tracks by Buddy Miles and DJ Rogers too. Titles include the great moogy cut "Moonfunk", plus "Bail Out", "Fun", "You Don't Have To Be Lonely", "Trying For Days", and "Life is What You Make It". CD

A classic! "The Horse" is a great 60s instrumental groover that virtually set the tone for the next 10 years of brass instrumentation in soul music! The cut's got a raw TSU Tornadoes or Bar-Kays kind of feel, with a horn line right up front, in a catchy rolling groove that never quits! 7-inch, Vinyl record

The title's a bit of a joke, given the cover image – but it's also no lie either, as The Staple Singers are definitely swinging here – taking their gospel roots into a whole new direction in righteous soul, one that countless other acts would copy at the time! The music here is upbeat, romping, and often slightly psychedelic in inspiration – traces of Sly Stone or Norman Whitfield in the rhythms, and a nicely rumbling groove that features contributions from The Bar-Kays at a few key points. Instrumentation is heavy, but never too much to to overwhelm the vocals – and titles include the hit "Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom-Boom)", plus "What's Your Thing", "Almost", "How Do You Move A Mountain", "Little Boy", "I Like The Things About You", "I'm A Lover", "Give A Hand Take A Hand", and "You're Gonna Make Me Cry". LP, Vinyl record album

A soaring stormer from T-Connection – and a set that has them sounding even better than before! There's a perfection here the group didn't have with earlier releases – a quality that goes way past indie funk ensemble, into the realm of some of the best mainstream acts on the bigger labels at the time – company shared by a rare few, like Earth Wind & Fire, Ohio Players, or the Bar-Kays! Things are every bit as funky as before – but there's a way of putting the tunes together that really blows us away – fusing all the elements together perfectly, and making everything work towards the groove – yet all without making anything sound too slick or polished either. Mighty nice all the way through – and titles include "Funky Lady", "Don't Stop The Music", "Funkannection", "Saturday Night", "At Midnight", and "Love Supreme". LP, Vinyl record album

Classic funk and some great contemporary tracks too – new music recorded for the score by a supergroup that features Bootsy Collins on bass and vocals, Bernie Worrell on clavinet and organ, Catfish Collins on guitar, and Clyde Stubblefield on drums! These new tracks are surprisingly good – penned and recorded with a classic 70s feel – and produced with just the right touches to make them come off with the right sort of feel next to the older tunes added to the soundtrack. Original cuts include "Flashback Party Weekend", "Seth Pulls Into Lot", "Super What", "Seth Runs On Track", "Evan's Basement Jam", and "Sleeping Bags". Other cuts include "Do Me" by Jean Knight, "Too Hot To Stop" and "Soul Finger" by The Bar-Kays, "Bustin Out" by Rick James, "PS I Love You" by Curtis Mayfield, and "Here I Come" by The Roots. CD

This is it! A pretty darn complete document of one of the greatest soul labels of all time – put together in a wonderful box with a book on the label that's almost as great as the music on the 9CDs in the set! This one established a new standard for box sets when it was issued in 1991, and it was the first time you could really get a clear picture of the great work of Stax without spending a lifetime tracking down obscure singles. A portion of this work will be familiar to you – as it includes classic tunes by the likes of Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd, The Bar-Kays, Booker T & The MGs, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, and others – but there's also a wealth of amazing soul by artists who recorded for Stax and Volt, yet never made it big on the charts, and never cut full albums for the label. Just a small amount of these folks include The Memphis Nomads, Jeanne & The Darlings, Derek Martin, Barbara & The Browns, Eddie Jefferson, The Tonettes, Macy Skipper, The Premiers, Sir Isaac & The Do-Dads, Ruby Johnson, Bobby Wilson, Eddie Purrell, Sir Mack Rice, and many others. A lifetime of listening in one box – and an essential set if you dig 60s soul! This new version is maybe even cooler than the clunky old box set – as it's 6" square, nice and slim – and won't take up a huge amount of space on your shelves – yet still gives you all the great music inside. CD

A sweet ride on the Disco Train – served up in a non-stop mix, built from a selection of classic cuts from the end of the 70s and start of the 80s – all of them some well-remembered gems from the dancefloor! Despite the "disco" in the title, the series also features some great tracks from the years beyond Studio 54 – including a few choice import groovers that played big on American dancefloors, the sort of shifting sounds that took over once the second wave of British invasion hit US clubs after the decline of disco – as well as some big crossover pop tracks that continued the groove well into the 80s. The result is a batch of tracks that's familiar, but presented in a nicely fresh way – and this third volume features a mix of 30 surprising cuts that include "Light Up The Night" by Brothers Johnson, "Word Up" by Cameo, "She's A Super Lady" by Luther Vandross, "Miss Me Blind" by Culture Club, "Upside Down" by Diana Ross, "Dancing Queen" by Abba, "Now That We Found Love" by Heavy D & The Boyz, "Conga" by Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine, "She Talks To Me With Her Body" by The Bar-Kays, "Let The Music Play" by Shannon, "Fascination" by Human League, "Samba De Janeiro" by Bellini, "Mr Saxobeat" by Alexandra Stan, "Telephone Operator" by Pete Shelly, and "Hungry Like The Wolf" by Duran Duran. CD

A set that really gets at the full spectrum of the boogaloo groove – not just the Spanish Harlem sounds of the Latin Soul generation – but also the deeper roots of the style from across the USA! "Boogaloo" is a term that most folks use to refer to that New York uptown fusion of Latin rhythms and soulful vocals – and while the NYC styles were key to its fame, the music also burst forth from lots of points west, too – and came together in a flurry of fast rhythms, jazzy instrumentation, and hard-driving vocals that made for a completely infectious blend! This package is a fantastic testament to that mad musical moment – and is overflowing with a selection of gems that goes way past the obvious – not the Fania Records catalog that usually shows up on other boogaloo releases, but a huge batch of tracks from small labels and indie singles too. Titles include "Skate Boogaloo & Karate Too" by Lee Harris, "Block Party" by Jimmy Castor, "Boogaloo #3" by Roy Lee Johnson, "Do The Boo-Ga-Loo (part 1)" by Tom & Jerroo, "Playing It Cool" by Hector Rivera, "Ready Steady Go" by Prince & Princess, "BarKays Boogaloo" by The Bar-Kays, "What I Feel" by Richie & The PS 54 School Yard, "Have Some Boogaloo" by Timmy Thomas, "Bugalu" by Charlie Palmieri, "Boogaloo (part 1)" by The Bob & Earl Band, "Me & You Doing The Boogaloo" by Lou Courtney, "Boogaloo Zoo" by Shirley Butler, "Bugaloo Party" by Harold & Connie, "Boogaloo Investigator" by The Exotics, "Funky Funky Boogalo" by Jimmy Brown, and "Let's Do The Funky Boogaloo (part 1)" by Barry Jones. LP, Vinyl record album

Funky genius from the legendary Stax studios! During the 60s, Stax was well known for their work in the soul music field – turning out hit singles by the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and others – but after 1968, when the label finished their deal with Atlantic, they really started getting down and dirty, and hitting on all burners in the funk department. This tasty set features 21 tracks from those exiting years –many of them only ever issued on singles, and a few of them by some of the label's more famous LP artists – but all of them with a nice Memphis funky groove! Titles include "Turn Your Damper Down" by Rufus Thomas, "Broadway Freeze" by Harvey Scales, "Life Is Funky" by Round Robin Monopoly, "The Dryer" by Roy Lee Johnson, "She's My Old Lady Too" by Lee Sain, "Slipped & Tripped" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Brothers & Sisters" by Kim Weston, "Movin Dancer" by Bobby Holley, "Eli's Pork Chop" by Little Sonny, "A Man Never Knows" by Chris & Shack, "Grab A Handful" by Art Jerry Miller, "I'll Kill A Brick (About My Man)" by Hot Sauce, "Watch The Dog That Brings The Bone" by Inez Foxx, "Sock Soul" by The BarKays, and "Getting Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty! CD

Funky genius from the legendary Stax studios! During the 60s, Stax was well known for their work in the soul music field – turning out hit singles by the likes of Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, and others – but after 1968, when the label finished their deal with Atlantic, they really started getting down and dirty, and hitting on all burners in the funk department. This tasty set features 21 tracks from those exiting years –many of them only ever issued on singles, and a few of them by some of the label's more famous LP artists – but all of them with a nice Memphis funky groove! Titles include "Turn Your Damper Down" by Rufus Thomas, "Broadway Freeze" by Harvey Scales, "Life Is Funky" by Round Robin Monopoly, "The Dryer" by Roy Lee Johnson, "She's My Old Lady Too" by Lee Sain, "Slipped & Tripped" by The Sweet Inspirations, "Brothers & Sisters" by Kim Weston, "Movin Dancer" by Bobby Holley, "Eli's Pork Chop" by Little Sonny, "A Man Never Knows" by Chris & Shack, "Grab A Handful" by Art Jerry Miller, "I'll Kill A Brick (About My Man)" by Hot Sauce, "Watch The Dog That Brings The Bone" by Inez Foxx, "Sock Soul" by The BarKays, and "Getting Funky Round Here" by Black Nasty! LP, Vinyl record album

A mountain of funk from one of the greatest soul labels of all time! Stax is known round the world over for their soulful work – by singers like Otis Redding or Carla Thomas, and instrumental tunes by Booker T & The MGs – but the label was also quite a funky powerhouse – especially as the 60s drew to a close, and the management of the company got a lot hipper, and a heck of a lot more musically open-minded! This killer batch of tracks features 21 numbers from those days – including many obscure and funky tunes that only ever came out on singles, or which were recorded by artists that never made it as big as Stax stars from earlier years. The result of all that obscurity is an extremely fresh selection of tracks – plenty of down-n-dirty funky 45 numbers, played by hip Memphis combos, and featuring some really deep soul vocals. Titles include "Dark Skin Woman" by Sir Mack Rice, "Ain't No Sin" by John Kasandra, "Bump & Boogie" by The Wrecking Crew, "Shame On The Family Name" by Calvin Scott, "Cool Strut" by Bernie Hayes, "Bump Mean" by Sir Mack Rice, "Soul Machine" by Reggie Milner, "How Can You Mistreat The One You Love" by Katie Love, "Cold Blooded" by The BarKays, "Do The Side Saddle" by Rufus Thomas, "Stay Away From That Monkey" by Jimmy McCracklin, "Them Hot Pants" by Lee Sain, "Devil In A Man" by Stu Gardner, "Circuits Overloaded" by Inez Foxx, "From Toys To Boys" by The Emotions, "Got It Together (parts 1 & 2)" by Rudy Robinson & The Hungry Five, and "Crosscut Saw" by Albert King. CD

More funky breaks than Evel Knevel after the Snake River Canyon jump! The groove hounds at BGP records were set loose on the Ace catalog – which includes holdings from Atlantic, Stax, Volt, Westbound, and other funky classic labels – and they managed to come up with a killer batch of funky cuts, even though this is their 3rd dip into the crates! If anything, perhaps they dipped even deeper this time – especially as some of the once-trusted sources for breaks, like the famous Ultimate Breaks & Beats series, are now disappearing from the market. Titles include "Soul Pad" by The Coasters, "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Johnny Jenkins, "T Plays It Cool" by Marvin Gaye, "Nappy Dugout" by Funkadelic, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Jimmy Ponder, "Get Out Of My Life Woman" by The Mad Lads, "The Rose" by 50 Foot Hose, "Holy Ghost" by The BarKays, "No Strings Attached" by The Mad Lads, "After Laughter Comes Tears" by Wendy Rene, "River's Invitation" by Freddie Robinson, "This House Is Smokin" by BT Express, "Music Man (parts 1 & 2)" by Pleasure Web, and "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" by David Porter. CD

A landmark double-live album that was easily one of the most important soul record moments of the 70s! The concert was an all-star event held in LA to celebrate the anniversary of the Watts riots – but it features a killer lineup of talent from the roster of Stax Records – by then a proud independent with more than enough power to spread a nationwide message from Memphis to Los Angeles without any trouble! The record is nicely segmented – so that it offers up mini "sets" by each artist – really recreating the feel of the event, at a level that lived on in countless living rooms long after the concert was over. Titles include "Son Of Shaft/Feel It" and "I Can't Turn You Loose" by The Bar-Kays; "Ain't No Sunshine" by Isaac Hayes, "I Don't Know What This World Is Coming To" and "Hearsay" by The Soul Children, "I Like What You're Doing To Me" and "Gee Whiz" by Carla Thomas; "The Breakdown" and "Do The Funky Penguin" by Rufus Thomas, "Killing Floor" and "Angel Of Mercy" by Albert King"; "Respect Yourself" and "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers; and "Knock On Wood" by Eddie Floyd. Also includes 2 studio tracks recorded after the show – "Oh La De Da" by The Staple Singers, and "Lay Your Loving On Me" by Eddie Floyd. LP, Vinyl record album

A set that really gets at the full spectrum of the boogaloo groove – not just the Spanish Harlem sounds of the Latin Soul generation – but also the deeper roots of the style from across the USA! "Boogaloo" is a term that most folks use to refer to that New York uptown fusion of Latin rhythms and soulful vocals – and while the NYC styles were key to its fame, the music also burst forth from lots of points west, too – and came together in a flurry of fast rhythms, jazzy instrumentation, and hard-driving vocals that made for a completely infectious blend! This package is a fantastic testament to that mad musical moment – and is overflowing with a selection of gems that goes way past the obvious – not the Fania Records catalog that usually shows up on other boogaloo releases, but a huge batch of tracks from small labels and indie singles too. Titles include "Skate Boogaloo & Karate Too" by Lee Harris, "Block Party" by Jimmy Castor, "Boogaloo #3" by Roy Lee Johnson, "Do The Boo-Ga-Loo (part 1)" by Tom & Jerroo, "Playing It Cool" by Hector Rivera, "Ready Steady Go" by Prince & Princess, "BarKays Boogaloo" by The Bar-Kays, "What I Feel" by Richie & The PS 54 School Yard, "Have Some Boogaloo" by Timmy Thomas, "Bugalu" by Charlie Palmieri, "Boogaloo (part 1)" by The Bob & Earl Band, "Me & You Doing The Boogaloo" by Lou Courtney, "Boogaloo Zoo" by Shirley Butler, "Bugaloo Party" by Harold & Connie, "Boogaloo Investigator" by The Exotics, "Funky Funky Boogalo" by Jimmy Brown, and "Let's Do The Funky Boogaloo (part 1)" by Barry Jones. CD

Way way more than just a compilation – a key piece of dancefloor history, and a wonderful document of a club that was as important to the New York scene as The Loft or the Paradise Garage! Nicky Siano's Gallery predated both of those legendary nite spots – and was much more of a home-grown effort that was mostly a party, but also formed a key blueprint for bigger discos in years to come. Nicky's frequent fans and guests include Frankie Knuckles and Larry Levan – who both took a heck of a lot of cues from his work, as you'll see in the set's wonderfully done liner notes, which also include some great vintage photos! The music is equally wonderful too – and very different from what you might expect. The work's kind of a key bridge between late 60s soul and the early years of disco – a great example of the kind of tracks that burned up dancefloors at a grass roots level, when hard soul vocals and funk could stand equally next to soaring strings and top shelf production! The package features 17 titles in all – including "Crazy Bout My Baby" by Bonnie Bramlett, "A Little Bit Of Love" by Brenda & The Tabulations, "Harlem" by Bill Withers, "Sang & Dance" by The Bar-Kays, "I'm Gonna Let My Heart To The Walking" by The Supremes, "Giving Up" by Zulema, "Exuma The Obeah Man" by Exuma, "Love Epidemic" by The Trammps, "Big John Is My Name" by Undisputed Truth, "I Can't Stop Talking" by Genie Brown, and "And You Call That Love" by Vernon Burch. CD

A landmark double LP collection of work from Stax Records – issued at the end of the 60s, after their split with Atlantic – and a real celebration of the new life that was coming to the label at the time! The range of work is really great, and the 28 track set moves easily from hits to more obscure numbers – in a mode that really shows the growing sound of Stax as the 70s approached. Titles include "Hot Hips" by The Bar-Kays, "Where Do I Go" by Carla Thomas, "I Like Everything About You" by Jimmy Hughes, "It's Me" by Judy Clay, "Booker's Theme" by Booker T & The MGs, "Heartaches Mountain" by Ollie & The Nightingales, "Soul Clap 69" by Booker T & The MGs, "These Old Memories" by The Mad Lads, "Private Number" by William Bell & Judy Clay, "Long Walk To DC" by Staple Singers, and "Copy Kat" by Bar-Kays. LP, Vinyl record album

A classic around these parts! The record's more of a straight soul compilation than a record of Holiday music – but it's packaged in a Santa Claus cover, as a gift from the radio station it's named after. The Chess brothers owned WVON, a massive soul station in Chicago, and for this set, they called on a number of favors from other labels – getting tracks that include Chicago soul favorites and a few more national numbers. Titles include "For Your Precious Love" by Oscar Toney Jr, "Get On Up" by The Esquires, "Funky Broadway" by Dyke & The Blazers, "Respect" by Aretha Franklin, "Forget It" by The Sandpebbles, "Shout Bamalama" by Mickey Murray, "Open The Door To Your Heart" by Darrell Banks, "Casanova" by Ruby Andrews, "Come On Sock It to Me" by Syl Johnson, "Soul Finger" by the Bar-Kays, and "Nothing Takes the Place of You" by Toussaint McCall. LP, Vinyl record album

A great early album from Margie Joseph – and a real standout in the post-Atlantic Stax Record scene! The sound here isn't as standard Memphis as some of the other records on the label at the time – more a blend of southern soul, Detroit styles, and a few other bits – pulled together tightly through the strength of Margie's vocals! There's some fairly expansive backings at times – a great mix of sweet strings and deeper soul that's totally great – and which really should have made the record a better-charting classic at the time. The BarKays provide backing on a number of tracks – and the album includes a great 8 minute remake of "Stop In The Name Of Love" that begins with a nifty spoken part, in which Margie's talking to her man about hearing his name spoken by someone else on the bus! Titles include "How Beautiful The Rain", "Sweeter Tomorrow", "Medicine Bend", "Come Tomorrow", and "I'm Fed Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric blues from Albert King – recorded with some great full production, in a burning Memphis style that's got plenty of soul in the mix as well! The set's got a quality level that takes it past some of the cliche-ridden blues of the time – really soulful overall, with a sound that comes straight from the heart, and avoids any of the easy tricks that could mar such a session – proof that music like this could really sparkle in the hands of Stax Records – especially when the backing instrumentation features The Bar-Kays and Memphis Horns! Titles include "High Cost Of Loving", "Little Brother", "I'll Play The Blues For You (parts 1 & 2)", "Breaking Up Somebody's Home", "Angel Of Mercy", and "I'll Be Doggone". LP, Vinyl record album

Sweet electric blues from Albert King – recorded with some great full production, in a burning Memphis style that's got plenty of soul in the mix as well! The set's got a quality level that takes it past some of the cliche-ridden blues of the time – really soulful overall, with a sound that comes straight from the heart, and avoids any of the easy tricks that could mar such a session – proof that music like this could really sparkle in the hands of Stax Records – especially when the backing instrumentation features The Bar-Kays and Memphis Horns! Titles include "High Cost Of Loving", "Little Brother", "I'll Play The Blues For You (parts 1 & 2)", "Breaking Up Somebody's Home", "Angel Of Mercy", and "I'll Be Doggone". LP, Vinyl record album

2 of the best Rufus Thomas funky albums for Stax – back to back on a single CD! First up is Did You Heard Me – recorded in the early 70s with backing by The Movement and The BarKays, and with a good raw Stax sound on most cuts! Rufus is certainly in the "funky ___" mode here – doing a formulaic approach to funk that has him taking a theme for a song, and pushing it to the max by shouting and grooving it over and over again. Fortunately, the style still works well here – without the cliches of later albums, probably thanks in part to the album's tight funky backgrounds. The record features three tasty two-part single tracks – "The Breakdown (parts 1 & 2)", "Do The Push & Pull (parts 1 & 2)", and "Do The Funky Penguin (parts 1 & 2)" – all of which stand as some of Rufus' most-collected funky singles. Also features the groovy soul track "6 3 8", plus "Love Trap" and "The World Is Round". Crown Prince is a crowning achievement for Rufus Thomas – a set that bubbles over with funky intensity, and one of the last great albums he ever recorded for Stax! The funky Rufus mode is still in full full swing here – with loads of tunes that have the word "funky" in the title – basically jamming numbers that seem to let Thomas loose on vocals – coming up with whatever sort of catchy lyrics he can over the romping grooves underneath. Titles include two of his best funky tracks "Funky Robot" and "Funky Bird" – plus "I Wanna Sang", "Steal A Little", "I'm Still In Love With You", "Baby It's Real", "Steal A Little", and "Git On Up & Do It". CD

Funky soul from Detroit – the second foray into the uber-rare and unreleased funk treasures recorded at Dave Hamilton's Motor City studio – and an even deeper look at what's turning out to be one of the greatest long-buried funk catalogs to come to light in recent years! The collection includes some singles released on Hamilton's own TCB and other imprints, some that were licensed to other labels, plus a wealth of unreleased material. There's straight ahead funk vocals and instrumentals, and numbers that have more of a freewheeling, adventurous vibe – albeit with a raw funk backdrop! Includes numbers by The Deacons, Prophet & His Disciples, Chico & Buddy, Billy Garner, OC Tolbert, Little Ann, Dave Hamilton himself, The Webb People, The Pepper and more. 22 tracks in all: "A Drop In The Bucket" by The Deacons, "You Fool, You Fool Pt 1" by Prophet & His Disciples, "A Thing Called The Jones" by Chico & Buddy, "The Bad Things (You Said To Me)" by The Barrino Brothers, "Ghetto Stride" by Dave Hamilton, "Who" by Jackie Dee, "Love Bandit" by OC Tolbert, "Simon Says' by The Future Kind, "Clap Your Hands" by The Tokays, "I'm Sending Vibrations" by The Webb People and more. CD

Stax Records turned out plenty of hits in the 60s – but the Memphis label was also a non-stop powerhouse of recording, and cut countless sides that were every bit as great as their hits, but never fully got their due! This collection brings together a huge amount of those gems – 24 rare Stax singles, none of which have ever been reissued – which makes this package a treasure trove of under-discovered Memphis soul, even if you've got some other Stax/Volt sets in your collection! A number of these tracks are early numbers by artists who'd break bigger on Stax later in the 60s – and others are by singers you might not know at all, but who were key to helping the label form its sound at the time – as their top-shelf team of writers and studio talents made these obscure singles every bit as great as their work for bigger artists. Titles include "I Need Somebody" by Johnny Daye, "Separation" by Carla Thomas, "Under My Nose" by Eddie Floyd, "Here I Am" by Lynda Lyndell, "Bashful Guitar" by Johnny Jenkins, "I Gotta Have My Baby's Love" by Sir Mack Rice, "Sweet Thing" by Gorgeous George, "The Big Dipper" by Sir Issac & The Do Dads, "Uh Oh I'm In Love Again" by Eddie Jefferson, "Beach Bash" by The Mar-Kays, "You Belong To Her" by Barbara & The Browns, "Strange Things" by Johnny Taylor, and "This Kind Of Woman" by Ivory Joe Hunter. CD